Lubricator.



T. w. MITCHELL al R. A. JONES.

LUBRICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED une, 1911.

Patented May 6, 1913,

Witnesses- @Raman 1D .YmtJuLlnventors TED STES PATENT oTTToT.

THOMAS W. MITCHELL, OF BUFFALO, AND RALPH A. JONES, OF EAST AURORA, NEW

YORK, ASSIGNORS TO TABER PUMP CO., OF BUFFALO, NEN

OF NEW YORK.

YORK, A COE?ORA;TION

LUBRICATOR.

LGZ. Specification of Letters Patent. Patented iay 6, 1913.

i Application filed February 9, 191i. Serial No. 607,591.

To all whom may concern:

Be it known that We., THoMAs YV, MrroI-inm. and Hanru A. Jonas, citizens of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the County of Erie and State of New York, and at East Aurora. in the County of `Erie and State of New York, respectively, have invented certain new and useful In'iprovements in laibrieators, of which the following is a Speeilieation. i

This invention relates to improvements in lubricators, and more particularly to lubricatorn` employed in connection with vaeuuni l Cleaning' apparatus.

The principal objectof the invention is to provide for automatically Cutting' olf the flow of lubricant from the lubricator when the machinery of the vacuum cleaning apparatus stops.

"he invention also relates to Certain details ot' construction of the lulnieator, which will be hereinafter described and Claimed, rot'erenf being had to the accompanying drawings in whieh a preferred adaptation ot the improved lubricator is illustrated both in connection with one type of a. vaeunm cleaning apparatus, and in detail Construction.

Figure l. a fragmentary `side elevation of a vacuum ,cleaning apparatus equipped with the improved lubrieator. Fig. Q is an enlarged vertical loi'igitudinal section through the librieator on line it '1, Fig'. 1 allowingA the outlet valve cloned. Fig'. il in au"enlar;;'cd vertieal longitudinal Seetion through the lubrieatoi on line n' o, Fig'. l, Showing: the out-let valve open.

ln referringA to the drawings in like numerals designate like parts.

ln the aeeompanring drawings. a pre l'erred i'orln ot. the improved lubrieat'or is illustrated in eonueetion with the rotar)1 pump and vacuum tank ot' a vaeuum elcaln inf; apparatus tor diselosing;- one of the purpoaeh' to nhit-h this invention is applitable. The rotarv pump l and thi` vacuum tank 3. illustrated in hij; i. are eonnei'teil to eaeh other bi' a pipe il. so that the rotation of the pump will ereate a partial vacuum in the vacuum tank. n

'the torni oty our improved luhrieator. illustrated in the aeeonnlmnyingYdrawing. coiupriawl a box or easing tor containing lubricant. and having` detail,

an outlet a pipe ort Athe vertical outlet opening G.

' pipe leading' trom'the outlet to the point or l 2l, or other points requiring lubrication, a valve for closing' the outlet, and suction means con trolled from the. rotary pump for moving the valve to free the outlet.

ln Fig. l the lubrientor is Shown nioiinted above the rotary pump and toone side of the vacuum tank, beine' connect-ed by piping' 'to the rotary pump 'for lubricating purposes, and to the pipe connected to the vat-umn tank and Suction pump for valve operating purposes. T-he box or of the lubrieator for containing the desired lubrieimt1 (consists ot a body it and a top cover 5 removablyy litted on said body. The body 4 preferably eaS-t of suitable. metal, with its bottom, sides and ends complete. in one piece. A vertical outlet opening' t3 i5 in the bottom of the box body, and two ribs T and t3 are also east on the under surface of the bottom of said box body, Said ribs i and 8 extending"oppositely from the, opening (3 to the ends of the'box.l and being provided with longitudinally extending openings t) and it) which Communicate with ,the vertical outlet. opening 6 and form passages 'for the oil or other lubricant. valve seat 11 is formed on the top Sui-taco of the bottom of the body of said boX`-.or

Casing', and is located aty the upper end of Said valve seat is preferably east integral with the box hodv. and is ground or otherwise suitably finished on its top Surface. Ilnlargjementn or luga 12 and l. are east: at the bottoms ot the ends'of the box body, and are lot-ated at the outer ends ot the ribsl 7 and S, being provided with enlarged sei'e\\'-tlireaded open.- int'a 1l and l5 whieh register with the. outer end4 ot the openings Si and l0 extending longitudinally through the rib@` 7 and S. gage it? ia attaehed to one of the sides ot the box bodv and .aurt'aee to indicate the. amount ot oil or other luln'ieant within the lubricat'or. lipea li and t8. Yfor eonvt-rji'iiier the oil or other lubrieant. have their upper ends screwed in the serew-threaded openings ll and l5 ot the enlanirenuut,a1 or luga` l2 and 1:1. and their lower ends eoi'inected to Suitable pointey on the rotar);Y pump requiring' lahriration.` ialveo lil and '20 an.;l mounted in the pipes or tubes t7 and 1S for the. par porre ot' regulating' the {'low of oil or other lubricant. 'lite top cover is detachabljy' fastened in place on the'box body luy/screws batal'le abtenera, and is pro- An annular.

. vertical edge of the derwmlinpq tubular port-ion 2f-l,

Lee-enea vided with central coneavit; tral depending tubular portion e, sup'ilemeiltary cover or di.; fastened'ontlle main cover ove concai'ity 22, by screws or ovv fasteners.

The metal portion of the sir mentary cover 24 is r dished upward, and the opposed concat; i A in the main cover and supplementary coveil constitute a chamber in which a flexible diaphragm 26 of leather or other suitable inaterial, is operatively arranged. The dia-- phragm chamber is of a conveXo-conveX forni, as shown in the drawings.

The type of diaphragm shown in the accompanying drawings, consists of a circular piece of leather having its surroua'iding margin fitted and clamped bet-Ween the main cover and the small supplen'xentary cover, and its central portion loosely extending horizontally acre-ss the diaphragm chamber. The small supplementary cover 9A is provided -with a central upwardly extending portion 2 ".vhich 'is internally screw-threaded, and which when thesmall supplementary cover is in= place on the main cover, is in vertical alinenient with the depending tubular portion ot the main cover.

A suction pipe 28 is connected at one end to the vertical tubular portion 27, and at the opposite end to a source of suction, preferably the suction pipe 3, connecting the vacuum tank to the rotary pump. A closure valve device, adapted to coact with the valve seat 11 andv thereby close the outlet, opening 6, is arranged Within the box or casing of the lubricator. This val ve is constructed and arranged to be automatically closed against the valve scat ll by the tension of a spring, and to be automatically opened when the vacuum cleaning apparatus is rurr ning by suction.

The closure valve device consists of a stem 259 having a screw-threaded portion 30 at its upper end, which passes through a central opening in the diaphragm 2G, and is adjust-1 ably clamped or fastened to said diapliragin by lock nuts 31 and 32, a valve disk fastened near the lower end of the valve stein, a packing dish 34 ota leather fastened on the` valve stein against the lower surface of the valve disk, and a coil. spring 35 loosely fitted around the valve stein and bearing" with .its respective ends against the lower and the top face of the valve (list: 3?),

lVhen the vacuum cleaning apparatus; is not running the valve disl: and its `fulrin disk are adapted to be pi :ed by the ,apri 535 against the valve scat 1.1. to close the outn let passages through the ribs, and thereby prevent the outflow ot' ll'ihrican'.

An opening 3G is provider in the cover,

which iis normally closed by a. 'screw cap 37. The nurose or the opening S36 to provide a means lor ccn'=.'eniently ,filling the .box or `ng rvith oil or other lubricantlower end 3S of the valve stein 29, 'ting below the vxf'alve disk 33, is rcrlerably .in sive and .lits loosely in .the il (iaitletoper ng thereby servlng to center and guide the stem of the valve with respect tothe valve seat.

The operation of this improved apparatus is as follows: v'vllicn the vacuum cleaning apparatus is stationary, or in other Words, notin operation, the outlet opening tl is closed by the valve device, and the 'lubricant is thereby prevented from flowing to the points requiring lubrication andflooding or cVerJUbriCat-ing said points. Nhen the rotary pump started it creates a partial vacuum in the vacuunl tank, and also by drawing the air from the suction pipe 28, creates a partial vacuum in the diaphragm chamber, and a suilicient suction upon the top surface of the flexible diaphragm to lift or elevate the diaphragm and carry with ity the valve stem and valve disk, thereby freer ing the outlet. opening 6 and permit-ting the lubricant to low by gravity through thel openings 9 and 10 and pipes or tubes 17 and i8, to the points requiring lubrication. lll'lhen the vacuum cleaning appara-tus is stopped., the suction action ceases and the partial vacuum becomes Weak; The tension of the airing 35 now being stronger than the suction of the partial vacuum, forces the 1 valve disk 33 downward against the valve seat and closes .the central outlet opening 6. This prevents the outflow ofjl'lbricant from the, lubricator. flow of lubricantfrom the lnbricator is easily regulated by opening or closing the valves 19 and 20 as required.

The principal object of this improved lubricator is that the valve controlling the of lubricant. therefrom is so constructed and arranged that it is opened automatically by suction when the appa 'atns starts, and is closed automatically when the apparatus stops.

VVhle the improved lnbricator is illustrated and described in connection with a vacuum cleaning apj'iaratus, it is apparent that it also applicable to, and niaylu, used in connection with other types of machines or apparatus for the purpose of moving certain movable parts.

l. ln a lul'iricator, a box or casing' for containing lubricant. consisting of a body having a i ul porimion the up'aer suraec ot' its botten; provided with a vertical the trip surface of sail! raised g ont! portion forming' an annular valve seat and longitudinal openings exlcmling through the bottom of said body :unil communicating at an iuerumliate point with the vert-ical opening in the raised portion;`said longitudinal openings being adapted to form passage ways for the lubricant and to connect with lubricant discharge pipes, a main cover for said body provided with a concavity and a shortJ vertical de ending tubular portion, a smaller supp ementary cover attached to the main cover and having a con cavity opposed to the concavitv in the main cover; said concavities togetneconstituting a diaphragm chamber, a flexible diaphragm in said diaphragm chamber, a vertical valve stem in the box or casing having .its upper port-ion extending through the tubular portion of the main cover and being adapted to slide in said tubular portion, its upper end extending within and attached to the flexible diaphragm and its lower end fitting loosely and being adapted to slide in the vertical opening in the raised portion of the bottom, and a closure valve attached tcl the stem above its lower end and being adapted to co-act with the annular valve seat on the 'bottom of lthe body.

2. In a lubricator, a box or casing for containing lubricant consisting of a body having an annular valve seat, a main cover for said body provided witha concavityl and a short depending tubular portion, a smaller supplementary cover attached to the main cover and having a concavity opposed to the concavity i.n the main cover and a vertical upwardly extending tubular portion which is connected to a source of air suction and has an opening in vertical alinement with the opening in, the short depending tubular portion of the main cover; the concavities of-the main and supplementary covers together constituting a diaphragm chamber, a flexible diaphragm having rits\ surrounding` margin clamg'ied between the main cover and the supplementary cover and its central portion arranged loosely'iii said diaphragm chamber, a valve stem yhaving its lower end loosely fitting in the opening i'n the annular valve seat and its upper portion fitting loc` `ly through the tubular portion of the main cover with its upper end projecting within and fastened to the flexible diaphragm, and a valve attached 4to the valve stem above its lower end and adapted to co-act with the valve seat.

3. In a lubrieator, a box or casing for containing lubricant consisting of a body having an annular valve seat formed on its bottoni surface and a vertical opening extending downward from the valve seat; said bottom also heilig provided with two hollow ribs on its under surface, the openings through said ribs communicating with the outlet opening of the valve seat and forming passages for the lubricant, a main cover for said body provided with a concavity and a short depending tubular portion and a smaller supplementary cover attached to the maincover and having a concavity opposed to the concavity in che main cover; said concavities together constituting a diaphragm chamber, a flexible diaphragm in said diaphragm chamber, a valve co-acting with the valve seat in the body and a vertical valve stem in the box or casing on which the valve is mounted; said valve stem extending vertically through approximately the center of said box or casing and having reduced upper and lower end portions which. are located respectively above and below the points of attachment of the flexi-` ble diaphragm and the valve and project andare adapted t'o slide i-n the vertically extending tubular' portions of the supplementary cover and the annular valve seat.

THMA S W. MITCHELL. RALPH A. JONES.

llVitnesses:

L. M. VSANGs'ran, A. J. SANosTEn. 

